Dooley Noted: 1/17/2015 The Person: Robert Kavanagh Profession: physiotherapist, seminar instructor and host How I know him: I met Rob at NKT II London in Feb 2013. That seminar hooked me to NKT and it’s community, which included Rob (the seminar host and attendee). How he’s changed me: Rob is like a brother I’ve never had. He continuously gives me advice from the male perspective and shows me the learning never stops. As a powerful … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/16/15 If you’re lucky, you meet a few people in life that pave the way to make your dreams reality. Joe Boffi is one of those people for me. I’ll never forget the day I met Joe. It was in January 2012. I hosted the great Dave Whitley for a kettlebell skills seminar. My friend Ari Harris invited Joe for his birthday. Joe approached me for help with his back pain. He did … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/15/2015 The sternocleidomastoid (SCM) is an amazingly powerful muscle. This muscle has attachments on the sternum in midline, as well as the medial one-third of the clavicle (collarbone). The SCM has a vast skull attachment, anchoring itself to the mastoid and superior nuchal line of the occipital bone. Like the trapezius, the SCM is innervated by cervical ventral rami masquerading as cranial nerve XI (spinal part of accessory nerve). So, the upper neck … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/14/15 I asked a patient to toe touch. He immediately said, “I fear that movement.” He had a flexion intolerant low back. Thus, I understood the fear. The perception of difficulty fuels fear. And fear stuns and stagnates. I watched his fearful attempt and asked if there was pain. He said, “No. I’ve just had pain doing that before. It’s how I initially hurt my back.” Now, a toe touch is global flexion. … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/13/15 My big sister and I are different. We don’t always agree. I’ll admit that I get caught up in our differences. There have been times I’ve given up. But she never gave up on me. What I have learned is that giving up is easy on you – and hard on everyone else. So, I stopped being a brat and started remembering all the times she has been there for me. During … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/11/2015 Today, we carried over the anatomy and palpation knowledge into corrective work on the core muscles. The anatomy lecture and palpation definitely carried over into the nuances of corrective exercise. We helped distinguish quiet breathing from tension breathing. We built a stable base before progressing into more challenging drills. We discussed the important of internal awareness versus external cueing. Since I’m a huge fan of quizzing for accountability, attendees repeated back to … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/10/15 Last night, we made history. We had some seminar attendees and the Immaculate Dissection team camping out and getting ready for our premiere. In one corner of my domicile, Danny Quirk painted the models. In another corner, two seminar attendees were bending bolts and tearing cards. I saw the combination of people attracted like a magnet to functional anatomy and strength. I watched Anna Folckomer perfecting our PowerPoint as Danny painted her … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/9/15 The trapezius muscle is a fascinating muscle that assists with spinal movement and stability, as well as shoulder movement. This muscle gets its name from its trapezoid appearance. It originates from the skull, extending it’s length to the last thoracic (midback) vertebrae. It heads laterally to insert on the spiny, posterior part of the scapula (shoulder blade) and its peak-like acromion, as well as the clavicle (collarbone). The muscle is considered to … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/8/2015 Yesterday, I zoned out twice. The first was in a taxi, where the new driver took me a mile in the wrong direction before I noticed. The second was on the subway, where my train changed routes midway. My lack of attention ended me up in Brooklyn. I paid the price for both losses of attention. This made me wonder if my patients might not be looking alive in their sessions. This … Read more
Dooley Noted: 1/6/2015 One way to start an enormous debate in my field is to discuss pain. From the patient perspective, one thing is true: if pain is present, the patient came to you to get rid of it. I’ve been a patient, so I understand this notion. But pain can be quite a proficient guide into a clinical picture. The problem is that the pain is completely subjective. The doctor can’t feel what the … Read more